The Sewing Place

Darn....or not to darn that is my question!

Julie

Darn....or not to darn that is my question!
« on: January 29, 2021, 08:29:12 AM »
Hello,
I wonder if you can help. I have a hole appear on my camel coat and the manufacturer has not been so helpful. I was thinking of possibly using camel coloured yarn and felting it or using bo-nash powder. Does anyone have any ideas? I have attached a pic so you can see the offending hole! Thank you very much. Jx

Sandra

Re: Darn....or not to darn that is my question!
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2021, 08:45:49 AM »
Hmmm...firstly I'm thinking that whatever you do to this will be visible and noticeable.
 
If you plan to darn, to get some matching thread, try opening up the coat lining to see if you can fray off a thread from a seam or the hem of the coat.

Oh! and welcome to the forum.  :)

Sandra.
xxx

Acorn

Re: Darn....or not to darn that is my question!
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2021, 08:50:03 AM »
Just moving you to a better section... hold onto your hats!
I might look as though I'm talking to you, but inside my head I'm sewing.

Julie

Re: Darn....or not to darn that is my question!
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2021, 09:21:27 AM »
Thank you Sandra for your very quick response and help, I know it's in a very obvious place. Your advice is much appreciated. Thank you for welcoming me to the forum also.  <3 Jx

Julie

Re: Darn....or not to darn that is my question!
« Reply #4 on: January 29, 2021, 09:23:44 AM »
Thank you Acorn for putting my post in the correct section. Sorry for any inconvenience. Much appreciated. Jx  <3

Efemera

Re: Darn....or not to darn that is my question!
« Reply #5 on: January 29, 2021, 09:42:57 AM »

Ploshkin

Re: Darn....or not to darn that is my question!
« Reply #6 on: January 29, 2021, 09:51:30 AM »
Sorry, I can't help with repair but do you know what caused it?  I'm assuming the coat is wool.  Has it been stored or unworn for a while because it looks as if it could be moth damage.  If it is you may need to do something to prevent further damage ( 24 hours in a freezer?).  If the damage was caused some other way then ignore that last bit  :)
Life's too short for ironing.

b15erk

Re: Darn....or not to darn that is my question!
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2021, 09:58:25 AM »
Welcome to TSP @Julie ! Lovely to see that you have dived right in - with pictures!

Like Plosh, I would be worried about what has caused it, and whether there are any more areas which may be vulnerable.

Darning I'm afraid, may make the hole rather more visible unless you have the patience and skill to do an invisible mend. 

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

So Chic

Re: Darn....or not to darn that is my question!
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2021, 10:44:35 AM »
I agree with Ploshkin that it might be moth damage so it might be wise to check the rest of your wardrobe.  I do hope it’s not moths.
So Chic
Bernina Artista 630, Bernina 800DL, Janome Cover Pro 1000CP and an elderly Singer Touch & Sew 720G as a back up

Elnnina

Re: Darn....or not to darn that is my question!
« Reply #9 on: January 29, 2021, 11:02:28 AM »
Just in case it is moth damage, why not get some cedar balls and put them in your wardrobe and any drawers that might have wool garments in them.  Moths hate the smell of cedar.

Greybird

Re: Darn....or not to darn that is my question!
« Reply #10 on: January 29, 2021, 11:19:31 AM »
A slightly off the wall solution. What about using a safety razor to shave some of the fibres off somewhere hidden (inside of pocket or hem perhaps?). Then spread a tiny dab of fabric glue inside the hole and sprinkle the fibres into it.

Celia

Re: Darn....or not to darn that is my question!
« Reply #11 on: January 29, 2021, 11:40:12 AM »
A friend of mine repairs these sort of things all the time and uses fibres as mentioned by grey bird with an embellishing machine, if you know anyone who has one it is amazing how well it works.  I won’t tell you how much she charges£££££££

Julie

Re: Darn....or not to darn that is my question!
« Reply #12 on: January 29, 2021, 13:09:40 PM »
 :grouphug:
Oh my goodness, thank you all so much for your response, slightly overwhelmed by your very kind and helpful responses!  :boohoo:
The coat is 100% wool and I did think that it might have been a cheeky wee hungry moth, I've checked the coat and no other damage. It is in a suit bag so well covered, but that's no guarantee! Thank you for the link to the tutorial Efemera, thank you to all the other suggestions, this has been so helpful and will update you all once I have plucked up the courage to do the repair! Have a lovely weekend. Jx  <3

BriarRose

Re: Darn....or not to darn that is my question!
« Reply #13 on: January 29, 2021, 18:24:49 PM »
I work in a wildlife museum, which is basically two floors of fur coats. Protocol for destroying destructive insects begins with two weeks in a deep freeze, a thawing out period, then two more weeks in the deep freeze.

After losing several very nice wool garments to moths over the years, I bought a small chest-style deep freeze in which to store my wool garments over summer. Serves double duty: hunting season begins just before wool eating moth season ends, so I can take my winter wear out of the freezer and use it for supplemental meat storage during the winter.

It's just fabric. We can out-think it.

Lilian

Re: Darn....or not to darn that is my question!
« Reply #14 on: January 29, 2021, 19:15:37 PM »
Welcome @Julie  :drink: 

Just a quick response to the moth issue.  It is the moth larvae that do the damage, not the moth itself.  The eggs and larvae are very small so not easily seen unless you have a magnifying glass. 
Willing but not always able :)